Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Walton finally told his side of the story.
On Wednesday, Walton held a press conference in Coral Gables, Fla., to explain the events that led to his DUI arrest in April. Charges were dropped earlier this week and Walton has since been reinstated to the team after being suspended indefinitely.
"I'm happy all this is over with," Walton told reporters. "My biggest thing about this whole situation is the way they put dirt on my name. I'm just happy things came out the way they're supposed to come out. Hopefully, people will look at me the same way that they did before the situation."
In the press conference, Walton's attorney, Joey McCall, claimed the arrest was part of a setup. A woman filed a complaint saying Walton impersonated an officer after stopping her car on the road. Walton said the woman nearly hit him after "swerving all over the road." According to Walton, he signaled her to pull over and followed her home to ensure her safety.
The police report stated the woman feared Walton would assault her, claiming he grabbed her wrists and forced her against the car. Walton was arrested when the woman arranged for them to meet at her house.
After officers found no evidence of Walton, 19, impersonating a cop, he was charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. His blood-alcohol was below the legal limit but above that allowed for a person under 21.
On Monday, all charges were dismissed.
"Everything I worked for was going down the drain," Walton said. "I didn't know what I was going to jail for or what I was getting arrested for that night. I was thinking about my whole life."
A sophomore, Walton gained 1,054 total yards and scored a team-high 10 touchdowns last year. He is expected to enter fall camp as the starting tailback.
